The axe has fallen on Newcastle's Steve Bates
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Wasps coach Shaun Edwards ponders the recent spate of sackings and resignations at the bottom of the Guinness Premiership in The Guardian.
"Where does the axe stop? One by one, moving up the table from Worcester, the side who will be relegated to the Championship, three Guinness Premiership coaches have been shown the door in little over a week.
"Cecil Duckworth reviewed the situation at Sixways, pronounced himself unhappy and left Mike Ruddock to do the decent thing. Worcester announced that he had resigned as director of rugby. The same day Sale said Kingsley Jones would be staying on as director of rugby, but that Jason Robinson was out, Mike Brewer replacing him as head coach. A day later Brewer spoke, making it clear he, not Jones, was in charge. The much-travelled former All Black said: "I've got complete autonomy on the rugby side of things ... what we can't have is the players answering to two masters."
"On Tuesday the axe fell again. Steve Bates may have staved off relegation but that was not enough for Newcastle's owner, Dave Thompson, who thanked Bates for his contribution, wished him the best and showed him the door, saying he expected better than another season dodging the bullet. Bates would be entitled to ask why Newcastle have bumped along the bottom for so much of the professional era, especially after getting off to such a bright start."
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